Sled attachment for automobiles



May 17, 1921. 1,629,061

E, R. ARMSTRONG SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Auz. a. 1924 v 2shee s-sheet 1 filmmaker,

y 17 E. R. ARMSTRONG SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 19242 Sheets-Sheet 2 is to provide traction me Patented May 1 7, 1927.

' inzaeei UNITED STATES PATENT OF'FIC E..

I EDWARD B. ARMSTRONG, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

Application filed August 8, 1924.

my This invention relates to sled attachments for automobiles and has asits object to provide a sled attachment applicable to the wheels of anautomobile to permit of the automobile being driven'over snow or icecovered roads with substantially the same facility that it may be drivenover roadsin normal condition.

Another important object of the invention ans applicable tO tlle rearwheels of the automobile and embodying a spur carrying chain driventhrough rotationof the rear wheels and having a stretch arranged insuch'am'anner as to, in its travel, propel the vehicle over the snow orice cov-. ered roadway.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and mount the runnersof the device that theyniay'have suflicient play, with a rocking motion,to adapt them to pass over inequalities in the road surface without cansing damage to them or imposing any unnecessary vibrations or shocks uponthe running gear of the automobile,

Another object of the invention is to provide runners forthe frontwheels of, the automobile so constructed as not to interfere with propersteering of the vehicle and, at

the same time, provide against skidding of the said wheels, therunners-for the rear wheels being likewise constructed with" this objectin view; v l

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of mobileequipped with bodying the invention, away and parts being shown insectionto better illustrate the'invention. V

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line22 of-Figure 1,

an 7 autolooking in the direction indicated by the arrows. I

Figure 3 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 3.3 of Figure1', looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 1 is afsimilar view. taken substantially on the line 4-4:0fFigure 1, looking" in the direction indicated by the arrows. I I p Theattachments embodying the present invention. are applicable topractically any standard automobile, although minor changes inconst-ruction fand reproportioning of th parts maybe found necessary inadaptingthe' invention to difierentjmakes of cars. However, in anyevent,the principles will remain l hi w as defined Pr-th mended theattachments em-' parts being broken' SLED ATTACHMENT non AUTOMOBILES.

Serial Nd. 730,896.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in general an automobile,,therear and front wheels numerals 2 and 3, and the rear aXle housing by thenumeral 4. The-hub of each rear wheel is indicatedby the numeral 5, andthe felly of the'wheel is indicated by the numeral 6. The hub of eachfront wheel is indicated by the numeral 7 and, in employing theattachments embodying the invention, the tire 8 ofv each front wheel isleft in place upon. the wheel whereas the tire of each rear wheel isremoved for a purposeto be presently explained Likewise, no change 18made in the steering mechanism of the au- 1 dicated in general by thenumeral 10 and which is in the nature of a longitudinal channel ironmember formed in its bottom with a longitudinally extending slotindicated by the'numeral 11,.the side walls of the said I member beingindicated by the numeral 12 and a protective or face plate 13 beingriveted or otherwise secured, as indicated by the numeral '14, tothe-outer one ofthe side walls 12 and upstanding in a plane beside thesame and formed with an opening 15 to accommodate the hub cap 5 of therespective rear wheels. Thelower portion of the plate 13 extends alongthe outer side of the runner 10 and the upper portion offthe said'plateis of approximately semi-circular form'and of a diameter tosubstantially conceal the rear wheel 2 of the automobile.

Mounted for rotation in suitable ends are preferablyupturned at 'anobt-use angle as indicated by the numeral 17, are

shafts 18 upon which are mounted sprocket gears indicated by'the numeral19. The nuk meral 20 indicates in general a sprocketgear of relativelylarg "dimensionswhich gear is ofannular form and-is fittedonto the telly6 of each rear wheel wheel. The said gear comprises an annular beingindicated respectively by'the rear wheels of the bearings 16 adjacentthe ends'of the runner 10, which I 2 after removal. of the g r tireandrim ordinarily mounted upon such in the road surtace that by reason ofthe a number or sprocket teeth indicated bythe numeral 23. A sprocketchain 24 is trained about the upper side of the gear and is extendedabout the sprocket gears 19 a i1d-has a lower stretch which is indicatedspecifically by the numeral and which" extends between the said gears 19,andalong the under side of the sprocket gear 20 upon therespectiveurear wheel 2 andin mesh with the teeth 23 thereof,'it beingunderstood that the portion of the chain which is passed over thesaid-gear 20, is likewise in mesh'withthe said teeth, as clearly shownin Figure 4 of the drawings. The stretch 25 of the sprocket chaintravels inthe slot 11' in the'bottoniof the runner 10,"and the links ofthe chain are proyided with a number of traction-spurs indicated by thenumeral-26.- V

I The numeral 2-Z'indicates in general a saddle member comprising idownwardly diverging arms 28 and a saddle head 29, which: arms at theirlower ends are riveted, bolted, or otherwise secured or formed in tegralwith'the outer side wall- 12 of the runner 10,the saddle head'29 havinga seat 30 formed inits upper side to accommodate the hub of therespective rear wheel.

The runner 10 atits inner side" is braced with relation to the runninggear of the rear axis through the medium oia'bracketarm 31 secured atits lower end as at 32, to the inner side wall 12 of the runner 10' andis provided at its upper ,end with a reduced right angularly' eXtendingstem portion 33 which is fitted for limited rotative movement in a bore34 formed in th elundei member 35 of a 'two- 'aa'rt clamp sleeve 36, theparts of which sleeve are secured together about the axle housing 4' bymeans of bolts 37. A nut- 38 is fittedonto the end of the stem 33 and atthe juncture ot the stem with the bracket arm 31-, there is provided ashouldent-39 which engages the outer end of the said under member 35 ofthe clamp sleeve 36, the nut 38 or a washer 40 upon the end of the stemengaging the other end of the said member 35.

5 Atthis pointit will be evident that when the engine is running and thewheels 2 are clutched so ,to-be driven therefrom, the c'l'rain 24will-be causedto travel w th its lower stretch 25 running in a rearwarddirection and with the spurs 25 engaging the surface of the snow or iceand thereby resulting in the machine being propelled in a terwarddirection. Bysupporting thehub'ot the rear wheelin the saddle head .29of the respective saddle member 28 and by mounting the stem. portion 33of the respective bracket arm 31 in th'e manner above outlined, a slightrocking movement of the respectiverunner ispermitted so as to enable thesame to pass smoothly ,over inequalities It will also be evidenttactthat the chain 24 is passed over tlie sprocket gears 19 which arerelatively widely spaced, a considerable stretch of the chain is adaptedto have tracti've engagement with the road surface or, moreparticularly, the snow or ice covering the same;

Referringnow to the runners for the front wheels of the automobile, eachrunner is indicated ingeneral by the numeral 41 and is of channel ironconstruction and similar to the runners 10, including a bottom 42 andupstanding side walls However, the bottom of each runner 41 is left'impert'orate or, in other words, not provided witha slotthe equivalentotthe slot 11. A side plate 44 is secured by rivets or otherwise totheouter side wall of the runner and extends upwardly in a planebesidethe said wall and is provided at its central portion with anopening 45 to accommodatethe hub cap of the respectivejtront wheel withwhich the runneris associated, this plate having; the same generalcontour as the plate 13 heretofore described. v r

Arranged within the channel oftl ie runner 41- is a seating member whichis indicated in general by the numeral 46 and which is substantially ofsemi=circular form, the same'being transversely concave inits upperside, as indicated by the numeral 47 and as best shown in Figures landot the drawings, so as to accommodate thetr'ead portion of the tire 8uponthe respective trontwheel 3. i The said} seating member 46 isprovided with attaching portions'48 riveted or otherwise secured to I 43of the runner 41, and the saids'eat'ing member isfurthermore braced by adiagonal brace arnr 49 secured inany suitable man'- ner to the upturnedends 400i the runnerl-l and at their upper ends secured in any suitablemanner to the upper ends of the seat ing member46, as clearly shown in Fi res 1 and 2. In this manner, the front whole of the automobile aresupported byth'e front" runners and do not come in Contact with thesurface over which the automobile is to be propelled. However, they aresupportedin such a manner as to permitsteering of the automobile by theoperation of the usual the car maybe 7 steering mechanism so that guidedin its course.

I claim is: .7 V V v Asledattachment for the rear wheels of automobilescomprising a runner open-at its bottom and having up'sti'i'i'dingi'iiine'r and outer side flanges, support lsecureid -ito the inner oneof said side flanges and extending upwardly therefrom and having itsupper portion provided with a laterally 'e'xte fdiii'g stein, a clampadapted to be re nova'loly ea cured about the axle ho'us'ijg for the rarr wheels i'nclu'di'ngs ions, one the said stem,

Having thus d'escrib'edth'e invention, what the side wall-s aside platesecured to the outer side flange of the runner and having an opening toaccommodate the outer end of the hub of the Wheel, a sprocket gear forattachment to the rear Wheel, sprocket gears rotatably carried by saidrunner, a sprocket chain trained about said gears and having a lowerstretch extending between the 1ast-menti0ned gears, and tractionelements carried by the chain and extending through the open bottom of10 the runner. I Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

- EDWARD R. ARMSTRONG. a 5.

